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Nursery at Robert Sandilands Primary School and Nursery
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Five mornings shape nursery life at Robert Sandilands, with a 15-hour week rather than a full-day booking pattern. This is the school's own provision on Digby Road in Speen, Newbury. Children become eligible for its universal funded hours in the term following their third birthday; their final nursery term normally falls in the summer of the academic year in which they turn four.
A short morning is the defining practical feature. The nursery belongs to the school's Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) department. Under its EYFS policy, children explore what interests them and choose activities, with opportunities to work alone and in groups. Learning also includes developing relationships with adults and other children, so social development forms part of the day. Nursery has its own teacher and teaching assistants, including a Level 3 teaching assistant.
The physical provision includes an EYFS canopy, completed during the 2021/22 academic year, and an outdoor area that received further investment in 2022/23. These are spaces attached to the early years provision, so the nursery's setting extends beyond its classroom.
Settling arrangements can be tailored for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The school's 2023/24 SEND Information Report describes home visits for EYFS children within its joining arrangements for children with SEND. Families may meet the teacher, teaching assistant and special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) before entry. Extra visits, photographs of the setting and a gradual start can help make the new surroundings familiar.
Support has a specific planning process. Under the SEND policy reviewed in July 2024, a child may receive a Support and Achievement Plan (SAP) with individual targets. Parents receive these plans, and recommendations from external professionals can become part of them. Speech and language needs can prompt a referral to the relevant agency.
Visual timetables are described for each classroom in the 2023/24 SEND report, alongside individual work stations and movement breaks where needed. Families can raise concerns with the class teacher through an arranged meeting, giving them a direct route into discussions with the SENCO.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through the normal admissions process. West Berkshire's arrangements for the 2026/27 academic year operated within its coordinated admissions scheme; the primary application deadline for that cycle was 15 January 2026. That deadline has passed.
There is a limited admissions advantage for some children, rather than general priority for nursery attendance. Where applicants rank equally within an oversubscription criterion, the 2026/27 arrangements list sibling priority first, applying within criteria 1–4; the conditional Early Years Pupil Premium tie-breaker follows in the published order. The latter applies to children attending the linked nursery who qualify for the grant during the application period, 12 September to 15 January. Robert Sandilands is among the schools covered. Parents must identify their entitlement on the school application, and the admissions team verifies it. Parents who apply for and become eligible for the grant after 15 January, while their child still attends the linked nursery, have their application considered after the national offer date, 16 April.
Transition support is a separate matter. For children with SEND, staff can share information between classes, arrange additional visits and use photo books to introduce new adults and surroundings. These preparations do not determine admission.
Morning commitment. The application form specifies 9.05am to 12.05pm, with a minimum of five sessions each week. The school-day page gives 9am to noon. Confirm which timing applies when arranging attendance and collection.
The universal entitlement covers 15 hours from the term after a child's third birthday, with no fees or charges for those hours. Applications are considered throughout the year: an available place can be offered, otherwise the application joins a waiting list assessed against the nursery's oversubscription rules.
Return the nursery application to the school or email office@sandilands.w-berks.sch.uk. Enquiries go to the office on 01635 40318. Pegasus Club serves children from Reception onwards, so its breakfast and after-school sessions do not extend the nursery morning.
The universal 15-hour entitlement begins in the term after their third birthday. Those hours carry no fees or charges.
The application form gives 9.05am to 12.05pm; the school-day page gives 9am to noon. Confirm the applicable times when arranging attendance. The minimum commitment is five mornings per week.
No. Reception requires a separate application. Under the 2026/27 arrangements, applicants ranked equally within an oversubscription criterion are subject to tie-breakers. Sibling priority applies within criteria 1–4; the conditional Early Years Pupil Premium provision for eligible children attending the linked nursery follows in the published order. Nursery attendance alone gives no general priority.
No. The club's eligibility runs from Reception to Year 6.
Send the completed nursery application to the school or email office@sandilands.w-berks.sch.uk. Applications are considered all year, with offers dependent on a place being available.
